Oakland, California - University of California employees are poised to launch the US' largest academic workers strike ever after a successful authorization vote!

A total of 36,558 University of California (UC) academic workers took part in a strike authorization vote, with 98% casting their ballots in favor, the Sacramento Bee reported. The participants included postdoctoral researchers, professional and student researchers, teaching assistants, tutors, and readers across 10 campuses.

The decision comes as 48,000 workers across the UC system, who are represented by several United Auto Workers (UAW) units, have been demanding better wages and working conditions. Around 17,000 of those workers will be striking for their first contract.

Many UC academic workers are fed up with insufficient pay as costs of living are on the rise. They are demanding a base salary of $54,000 a year for grad student workers, $70,000 a year for postdocs, and a 14% raise for professional academic researchers. They have also called for greater support when it comes to child care, transit, and disability justice.

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Union reps have accused the universities of not bargaining in good faith and instead making changes to working conditions for some employees without consulting workers themselves. They have filed 28 unfair labor practices charges. The state's Public Employment Relations Board has issued complaints on three of those charges so far.

After this week's authorization vote, academic workers could go on strike as early as November 14. The walkout could force UC institutions to cancel many undergraduate classes and bring research to a standstill.

Such a show of force would prove just how essential these workers are to the university system's success.